Separation agreement shows clean break between Carranza, Houston ISD

Houston ISD Superintendent Richard Carranza talks about his departure for New York City during an interview with Houston Chronicle and KHOU on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Houston. ( Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle )

Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff / Houston Chronicle

Former Houston ISD superintendent Richard Carranza's resignation from the district involved no financial settlements, and the two sides agreed not to sue each other following the separation, according to documents obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

A written agreement between Carranza and HISD board members shows a clean break after Carranza announced in early March that he planned to become chancellor of New York City public schools. Carranza officially resigned on March 31 and started his job in New York City on April 2. HISD board members have appointed Grenita Lathan, who previously served as the district's chief academic officer, to serve indefinitely as interim superintendent.

Carranza's three-year contract ran through August 2019, leading to questions about whether he would face any repercussions for resigning midway through that term. His contract didn't include any penalties for resigning before August 2019, and it did stipulate both sides could mutually agree to end the agreement.

Carranza was paid his regular salary of $345,000 and benefits through March 31. He was allowed to take accrued but unused personal days through the last week of his employment.

HISD trustees have sought a smooth and drama-free transition following Carranza's announcement, which caught Houston off-guard. Carranza notified trustees of his decision to leave for New York City just hours before he was formally introduced as its new chancellor.

Carranza has repeatedly said his decision to leave was based on a desire to run the nation's largest school district, as opposed to discontent in Houston.

Carranza did, however, suggest he had concerns that trustees weren't planning to renew or extend his contract. HISD Board of Trustees President Rhonda Skillern-Jones noted Carranza had more than a year left on his deal, and three new trustees were seated in January -- intimating that the timing for an extension wasn't ideal.

Neither Carranza nor Skillern-Jones has said whether Carranza requested an extension. They called any such discussions confidential.

Trustees have given no timetable for hiring a permanent superintendent. District officials on Wednesday named an interim chief academic officer, Noelia Longoria, to fill Lathan's position. Longoria previously served as assistant superintendent of HISD's Office of School Choice.

Jacob Carpenter joined the Houston Chronicle in June 2017 to cover K-12 education. Prior to arriving in Texas, he spent a year as an investigative reporting fellow for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He reported for the Naples (Fla.) Daily News from 2011 to 2016, covering criminal courts and long-term investigative projects. A native of suburban Detroit, he graduated from Michigan State University in 2010.